By Dan Weber
NKyTribune reporter

Against the nation’s No. 1 team in front of a record standing-room-only crowd of 6,396 at Knoxville’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium, the underdog Northern Kentucky Norse gave it a real shot.

And had a shot. From the get-go, which in this first-round NCAA Division I tournament baseball game Friday came on the first at-bat in the game when NKU leadoff hitter Cleary Simpson crushed a home run over the scoreboard in right-center field.

NKU 1, No. 1 Tennessee 0.

For two innings, anyway. And there could have been more as Treyvin Moss followed Simpson’s homer with a sharp double with no outs. So strong was the NKU opening, Tennessee Coach Tony Vitello pulled his starter, Chris Stamos, for a reliever after just one out.

Good move as the long reliever, AJ Causey, came on for 6 2/3 strong innings shutting down the Norse with just two more runs on four hits with nine strikeouts as the Volunteers improved their home record to 36-3 (51-11 overall) with a 9-3 romp over NKU.

The loss sends NKU into a loser’s bracket game Saturday at noon against Southern Mississippi, a loser to Indiana in their Friday game. Tennessee will face Indiana later Saturday.

NKU dropped to 35-23 in its first-ever NCAA Div. I baseball tournament as the result of shaky NKU pitching that gave up three UT home runs after a third inning of three walks and a wild pitch that allowed the Vols to take a 3-1 lead without a hit in that inning. And that was after an unearned run in the second following an outfield misplay.

Careless base-running that saw two Norse picked off – one right before an NKU home run – and the inability to hit with runners in scoring position (NKU was 0-9 there) didn’t help against the nation’s No. 1 team on their field.

NKU’s Nick McClanahan (Photo provided)

Tennessee’s nine runs came on nine hits with those three home runs providing much of the power as the Vols, the only team in the nation with 50 or more wins, added to their 144 home runs for the season.

NKU was its own worst enemy when starter Tanner Gillis, 8-2 coming into this game with three times 72 strikeouts to just 24 walks, had trouble locating the plate early on.

And yet, in the seventh inning, NKU trailed just 6-3 – and it could have been 6-4 without the pickoff before Liam McFadden-Ackman’s home run.

For the game, NKU gave up seven bases on balls to Tennessee’s two while the Norse struck out 11 times to Tennessee’s nine. NKU reliever Nick McClanahan, out of Ryle High School, came on for 3 1/3 strong innings with seven strikeouts.

NKU starting second baseman John Odom had to leave the game after suffering a leg injury sliding into second base in the second inning.

SCORING SUMMARY
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 – 3 6 1
TENNESSEE 0 1 2 3 0 0 1 2 X – 9 9 0
WP: Causey (12-3) LP: Gillis (8-3)
LEADING HITTERS: NKU: Simpson, HR, RBI; Moss 2-3, double; McFadden-Ackman HR; Rowe 2-3, triple. TENNESSEE: Amick, HR, 3 runs; Moore 2-5; Dreiling 3-5, HR, double; Ensley HR.

Tennessee baseball continues in the winners bracket of the Knoxville Regional in the NCAA Baseball Tournament with Saturday’s game against Indiana.

The Vols won 9-3 against NKU on Friday to move on in the winners bracket after a very good performance from AJ Causey out of the bullpen.

Indiana stomped Southern Miss in the first game of the day on Friday to advance.

Here’s everything you need to know about Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament game vs. Indiana, including time, TV and streaming info and more:

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Indiana in NCAA Tournament today?

Tennessee vs. Indiana will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app and FUBO, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers, and ESPN+, which is ESPN’s subscription-based streaming service.

Tennessee baseball vs. Indiana in NCAA Tournament start time

• Game time: 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1

Tennessee vs. Indiana will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

NCAA Baseball tournament: Knoxville Regional schedule, bracket, TV info

At Lindsey Nelson Stadium; double-elimination format

Friday’s games

Game 1: Indiana 10, Southern Miss 4

Game 2: Tennessee 9, Northern Kentucky 3

Saturday’s games

Game 3: Southern Miss vs. Northern Kentucky, 12 p.m. on ESPN+

Game 4: Indiana vs. Tennessee, 6 p.m. on ESPNU

Sunday’s games

Game 5: Game 4 loser vs. Game 3 winner, 12 p.m.; TV TBD

Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6 p.m.; TV TBD

Monday’s game (if necessary)

Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, TBD

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Tennessee right-handed pitcher AJ Russell is not active for this weekend’s Knoxville Regional, head coach Tony Vitello confirmed following the Vols’ 9-3 victory over Northern Kentucky on Friday night.

“No, he is not active,” Vitello said postgame. “Probably will get looked at again. We haven’t fast-forwarded there but just based on playing catch there is no need to battle the soreness factor. That is step one and step two would be make sure he is good to go and should be throwing at all.”

Vitello wouldn’t go as far as saying that they would shut Russell down for the rest of the season, just that they were going to reevaluate things after the right-handed pitcher is looked at again.

Russell missed nearly two months with forearm soreness before returning to the mound in a pair of one inning outings at the SEC Tournament last week. The sophomore pitcher worked around a pair of baserunners to post a scoreless inning against Vanderbilt before allowing a solo home run in an inning against LSU.

While the results were solid, Russell’s velocity was way down. After throwing in the upper 90s earlier this season, Russell’s fastball was 91-93 mph in Hoover.

More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball Knocks Off Northern Kentucky To Open Up NCAA Tournament

“What he did for us on Sunday was great,” Vitello said. “I think it was obvious with his couple outings he did give us that he hadn’t really been what his best version of himself is since Texas Tech (season opener).”

Russell suffered side soreness in his second start of the season against Albany before returning for two weeks early in SEC play before the forearm issue reared its ugly head. The right-handed pitcher’s status has been a cloud looming over the team all season due to his extreme talent.

“If anything, I think it alleviates the cloud − for these guys, too, and not just him but also us − (of) what is, what isn’t,” Vitello said. At least we are on one side of the fence or the other.  Everyone knows we would rather be fully on the other.”

In Russell’s absence, Tennessee’s pitching staff has stepped up in a major way. Russell’s injury seemed like a near death sentence for the Vols when it happened but a number of players— most notably AJ Causey and Aaron Combs— have stepped up in a big way in his absence.

They’ll look to keep doing so as Tennessee resumes Knoxville Regional play on Saturday night when they face Indiana at 6 p.m. ET at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.